Constitution Square Historic Site is a park and
open-air museum
An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum.
Definition
Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere†...
in
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a home rule-class city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 17,236 at the 2020 Census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes ...
. From 1937 to 2012, it was a part of the
Kentucky state park system and operated by the Kentucky Department of Parks. When dedicated in 1942, it was known as John G. Weisiger Memorial State Park, honoring the brother of Emma Weisiger, who donated the land for the park. Later, it was known as Constitution Square State Shrine and then Constitution Square State Historic Site. On March 6, 2012, the Department of Parks ceded control of the site to the county government of
Boyle County, Kentucky
Boyle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,614. Its county seat is Danville. The county was formed in 1842 and named for John Boyle (1774–1835), a U.S. Representative, chie ...
, and its name was then changed to Constitution Square Historic Site.
The park celebrates the early political history of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
. It features replicas of three buildings that stood on the original city square, including the courthouse that housed ten constitutional conventions between 1785 and 1792; these conventions ultimately led to Kentucky's separation from
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. It also includes the original building that housed the first U.S.
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
west of the
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...
and several other early 19th century buildings of historical import. The site comprises the majority of the
Constitution Square Historic District which was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on April 2, 1976. Among the annual events held at the site are the
Great American Brass Band Festival The Great American Brass Band Festival is a music festival held each June in Danville, Kentucky since 1990. The open-air festival features a wide variety of brass bands, a hot air balloon race, a picnic, and other activities. Each year up to 40,000 ...
and the Kentucky State Barbecue Festival.
History
In 1774, a group of pioneers led by
James Harrod
James Harrod () was a pioneer, soldier, and hunter who helped explore and settle the area west of the Allegheny Mountains. Little is known about Harrod's early life, including the exact date of his birth. He was possibly underage when he served i ...
constructed Fort Harrod (now
Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census.
Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesbo ...
), the first permanent settlement in Kentucky.
[''Constitution Square State Shrine, Danville, Kentucky'', p. 1] Three of these settlers – Thomas Harrod, John Crow, and James Brown – claimed the land in and around the present-day city of
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a home rule-class city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 17,236 at the 2020 Census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes ...
, soon after.
In 1784, Crow deeded of land to Walker Daniel – Danville's namesake – to form the city proper.
[''Constitution Square State Shrine, Danville, Kentucky'', p. 2] The city square was designated on a portion of this plot near its eastern end – not near the center, as was typical of other cities at the time.
This location, about from John Crow's Station, provided an escape route in the event of an
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
attack.
![Replica Courthouse CSSHS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Replica_Courthouse_CSSHS.jpg)
The
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...
created the Judicial District of Kentucky in 1783.
[''Constitution Square State Shrine, Danville, Kentucky'', p. 4] Harrodsburg was designated as the district's first seat of justice, but because of inadequate facilities in Harrodsburg, the Supreme Court for the District of Kentucky moved its next session to Crow's Station and ordered the construction of a courthouse there.
The courthouse was built on what is now Constitution Square in March 1785, and the court convened there regularly until its dissolution when Kentucky gained statehood in 1792.
The square fell into disuse after the district court disbanded, and, in 1817, the city's trustees sold half of the city square to raise money for the establishment of an educational institution known as Danville Academy.
[Wallace and Grider, p. 3]["Danville Academy". ''CentreCyclopedia''] The money was to be used to buy at least of land within of the square on which to locate the academy.
On February 13, 1818, the trustees voted to sell the other half of the square and allocate the money to the same purpose.
There is no record that Danville Academy was ever established, however; advocates of the academy's establishment apparently combined their efforts with those of the individuals who established
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky. It is an undergraduate college with an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students. Centre was officially chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819. The college is ...
in Danville, and the funds that had been designated for the founding of Danville Academy were re-allocated to Centre.
Danville's trustees also voted to give free use of the courthouse in the square to a group of
Freemasons
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
in 1817.
The trustees sold another portion of the square near Main Street for the construction of private residences in 1823, and the Freemasons purchased the courthouse and the land it occupied in 1828.
A group of
Methodists purchased the land from the Freemasons in 1834, and they subsequently sold it to a Reverend Adams the following year.
Adams purchased two adjacent plots and founded an all-female academy which ultimately failed.
In 1854, the Danville Theological Seminary moved from the campus of Centre College to Constitution Square, occupying many of the buildings there.
[Sanders, "Looking Back: The aftermath of Perryville battle"] The brick courthouse became the main building of the seminary, and during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, it was used as a hospital to treat wounded soldiers – both
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
and
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
– in the aftermath of the
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the A ...
.
Danville Theological Seminary remained in operation until 1878.
After its closure, the main building deteriorated and was eventually razed.
Creation of the park
On October 15, 1937, Danville resident Emma Weisiger donated the land that comprises Constitution Square Historic Site to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in memory of her brother, John.
["Constitution Square History". Kentucky Department of Parks] The state made the land into a state park; it was originally called Old Public Square, then Constitutional Square.
[Edwards, "Looking Back: Weisiger Park dedicated in 1942"] Using a combination of state and local funds, the Danville Chamber of Commerce and the local chapter of the
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...
began constructing replicas of the jail, courthouse, and meetinghouse that originally occupied the square.
At the time of the park's dedication on April 20, 1942, it was dubbed the John G. Weisiger Memorial State Park.
Later, the name was changed to Constitution Square State Shrine.
At the time of the dedication ceremony, all non-essential construction projects in the U.S. had been halted by the
War Production Board
The War Production Board (WPB) was an agency of the United States government that supervised war production during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established it in January 1942, with Executive Order 9024. The WPB replaced the Sup ...
due to the country's entry into
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and renovations to the park's attractions had consequently ceased.
Dedication speeches by
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Keen Johnson
Keen Johnson (January 12, 1896February 7, 1970) was an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1939 to 1943; being the only journalist to have held that office.Odgen, p. 178 After serving in World War I, Jo ...
and Centre College president Robert L. McLeod, Jr. contained reminders of the ongoing war and praise for the ideals of democracy.
In addition, a plaque honoring the framers of the first
Kentucky Constitution The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the document that governs the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was first adopted in 1792 and has since been rewritten three times and amended many more. The later versions were adopted in 1799, 1850, a ...
was dedicated by
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
judge Lafon Allen and unveiled by Johnson's daughter, Judith, and Louise McDowell, a descendant of Judge
Samuel McDowell, who presided over all ten constitutional conventions that took place in the original Constitution Square courthouse.
After the war ended with the
defeat of Japan
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...
in 1945, the ban on nonessential construction was lifted, and the state restarted construction and restoration activities in Constitution Square in 1948.
These activities included restoring and re-roofing the buildings, adding furniture to the buildings, constructing walkways, erecting signs, and adding landscaping to the park.
[''Constitution Square State Shrine, Danville, Kentucky'', p. 15] The restorations were completed in 1955.
[Merritt, p. 10] From 1960 to 1968, the state added a fence around the site, installed a new lighting and
diorama
A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...
system, constructed a replica of the square's original
pillory
The pillory is a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse. The pillory is related to the stocks ...
, and renovated several buildings, including an early 19th-century brick schoolhouse which became the caretaker's residence.
![The Governor’s Circle at Constitution Square](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/The_Governor%E2%80%99s_Circle_at_Constitution_Square.jpg)
In the 1970s, Centre College president
Thomas A. Spragens began a series of
urban renewal
Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
projects in Danville using grants from the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the Secretary of Housing and Urb ...
.
[Edwards, "Danville's Constitution Square changes with HUD projects"] One such project was the expansion of Constitution Square and the restoration of some of its key features.
Part of First Street was closed to accommodate the expansion, and the
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
business district, which lay on Constitution Square facing the
Ephraim McDowell House, was razed.
Grayson's Tavern, Fisher's row houses, the Goldsmith House, and the brick schoolhouse were renovated, and the Governor's Circle was added to the site.
A bronze statue depicting two men shaking hands, a symbol taken from the
state seal, stands in the middle of the Governor's Circle.
Plaques that honor each governor of the state encircle the statue.
The entirety of the Governor's Circle honors
Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby (December 11, 1750 – July 18, 1826) was the first and fifth Governor of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic an ...
, Kentucky's first and fifth governor.
Shelby is believed to be responsible for Kentucky's adoption of the motto "
United we stand, divided we fall
"United we stand, divided we fall" is a phrase used in many different kinds of mottos, most often to inspire unity and collaboration. Its core concept lies in the collectivist notion that if individual members of a certain group with binding id ...
", which also appears on the state seal.
The landscaping around the circle is maintained by the Garden Club of Danville.
[Schell, "Garden Club of Danville springs back into action"]
In June 2011, the Kentucky Department of Parks began discussions with Boyle County officials concerning the possibility of transferring control of Constitution Square to the county government, and the transfer was completed March 6, 2012.
[Brock, "Boyle looks to take over Constitution Square"][Brock, "Constitution Square finally belongs to Boyle County"] In the interim, the county received a $500,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to renovate many of the site's properties, turning Constitution Square into an economic hub for the area.
Improvements to the site will include making the first floors of all buildings compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 19 ...
, upgrading the electrical and phone systems in many of the buildings, and installing a
wireless network
A wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data connections between network nodes.
Wireless networking is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and business installations avoid the costly process of introducing c ...
to turn the entire site into a
Wi-Fi hotspot
A hotspot is a physical location where people can obtain Internet access, typically using Wi-Fi technology, via a wireless local-area network (WLAN) using a router connected to an Internet service provider.
Public hotspots may be created by ...
.
[Brock, "Constitution Square to become economic hub"] The grant required that an archeological study of the area be completed prior to beginning these improvements; commencement of the study was delayed due to the
vice-presidential debate hosted at nearby Centre College in October 2012.
[Brock, "Archaeological study planned at park"]
In February 2013, the
Kentucky Historical Society
The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) was originally established in 1836 as a private organization. It is an agency of the Kentucky state government that records and preserves important historical documents, buildings, and artifacts of Kentucky's ...
erected a
historical marker
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...
in the park to commemorate the
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
s who enlisted in the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.
[Mojica, ''New historical marker in Danville honors African-American soldiers''] In May 1864, the group of 250 men – mostly
slaves
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, but including some
freedmen
A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), abolitionism, emancipation (gra ...
– marched from Danville to nearby
Camp Nelson in
Jessamine County, where
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
Andrew Clark allowed them to enlist after some initial hesitation.
Arriving with wounds inflicted upon them in route, this group was the first to enlist at this site, where 10,000
United States Colored Troops
The United States Colored Troops (USCT) were regiments in the United States Army composed primarily of African-American (colored) soldiers, although members of other minority groups also served within the units. They were first recruited during ...
trained.
On September 10, 2013, the Boyle County Fiscal Court voted to endow $100,000 with the
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
-based Wilderness Trace Community Foundation for maintenance of the park.
[Woosley, "Boyle establishes endowment for Constitution Square"] The fiscal court receives 4% of the endowment annually to spend on park maintenance.
Buildings
Constitution Square lies between Main Street and Walnut Street on the north and south, respectively, and between First Street and Second Street on the east and west, respectively.
[Wallace and Grider, p. 2] It contains one original building – the post office – and replicas of the original courthouse, jail, and meetinghouse, which were constructed as authentically as possible based on available records.
[''Constitution Square State Shrine, Danville, Kentucky'', p. 9]
Post office
The post office which lies at the north end of Constitution Square is an original structure.
It was constructed sometime prior to 1792 and was the first U.S. post office built west of the
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...
.
Thomas Barbee, a member of a prominent early family in Danville, was commissioned as its first postmaster on August 20, 1792.
The first mail was delivered to the post office on November 3, 1792.
Originally located on Walnut Street, it was moved to its present location in 1950 by the Danville and Boyle County Historical Society and was dedicated to the Commonwealth of Kentucky on August 20, 1951.
[''Constitution Square State Shrine, Danville, Kentucky'', p. 11]
Courthouse and jail
![Replica Jail CSSHS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Replica_Jail_CSSHS.jpg)
The District of Kentucky and the Supreme Court of the District of Kentucky were both created in 1783.
[Wallace and Grider, p. 3] When the court moved to Danville in 1785, it ordered that two men determine the cost of constructing the buildings it needed to function, including a courthouse and jail.
The report called for assessments to be made on the district's four counties for the construction of the buildings;
Jefferson County was assessed
ÂŁ431,
Nelson County ÂŁ49,
Fayette County ÂŁ86, and
Lincoln County ÂŁ122.
Isaac Hite was chosen to construct the buildings, which were finished in 1785.
The jail was built in the center of the square, and the courthouse was situated between the jail and Walnut Street.
The district court held its first session in Hite's courthouse on March 14, 1785, and continued meeting there until its dissolution in 1792.
Additionally, the Kentucky Council of War used the courthouse as its meeting place, and between 1785 and 1792, a series of ten constitutional conventions were held there.
These conventions ultimately produced the first Kentucky Constitution, which was adopted in 1792.
Soon after, the original courthouse was replaced with a two-story brick courthouse.
Little is known of the jail originally built by Isaac Hite.
Court records show that it was to be built of hewn logs no less than thick and have at least two cells.
The replica courthouse that now stands in Constitution Square was completed in 1942. It houses several personal items belonging to Kentucky's first governor,
Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby (December 11, 1750 – July 18, 1826) was the first and fifth Governor of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic an ...
, including his hunting bag,
powder flask
A powder flask is a small container for gunpowder, which was an essential part of shooting equipment with muzzle-loading guns, before pre-made paper cartridges became standard in the 19th century. They range from very elaborately decorated works o ...
, surveyor's instruments, and the chair in which he died.
[''Constitution Square State Shrine'', p. 10] The courthouse also contains a portrait of Shelby and some Native American artifacts found in the vicinity.
Presbyterian meetinghouse
Tradition holds that John Crow constructed a meetinghouse on the square in Danville prior to 1784, but the first meetinghouse described in surviving records was constructed in mid-1784 for use by
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
minister
David Rice.
A replica of this meetinghouse was constructed in Constitution Square in 1942.
The single-story log structure has a small bell tower on top.
Rice's original meetinghouse was first used by the newly formed Concorde Presbyterian Congregation, the first Presbyterian congregation in what is now Kentucky.
[Brock, "Meeting house at Danville park offers a glimpse of past Presbyterian congregations"] James Crawford and Tereh Templin, the first two Presbyterian ministers in Kentucky, were ordained at this meetinghouse on November 10, 1785.
Grayson's Tavern
Benjamin Grayson constructed Grayson's Tavern in Danville sometime around 1785.
The asymmetrical, ell-shaped building faces south onto Walnut Street with a front entrance on the south and a side entrance on the west, which opens onto Constitution Square.
The Mary Akin Memorial Herb Garden, located behind Grayson's Tavern, features a variety of herbs that were commonly cultivated in the area during the late 18th and early 19th century, including
chives
Chives, scientific name ''Allium schoenoprasum'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae that produces edible leaves and flowers. Their close relatives include the common onions, garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and ...
,
fennel
Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...
,
honeysuckle
Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...
,
lavender
''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World and is found in Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, and from Europe across to northern and easte ...
,
rosemary
''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native plant, native to the Mediterranean Region, Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was kn ...
,
sage
Sage or SAGE may refer to:
Plants
* ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb
** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family
** ''Salvia'', a large ...
, and
thyme
Thyme () is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus ''Thymus'' of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus ''Origanum'', with both plants being mostly indigenou ...
.
The garden is maintained by the Garden Club of Danville and named for one of its long-time members.
![Grayson's Tavern CSSHS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Grayson%27s_Tavern_CSSHS.jpg)
The
Danville Political Club, a debating society which existed between 1786 and 1790, frequently held its meetings at the tavern.
Many members of this society went on to become prominent political leaders at the state and national levels. Eleven of the Club's thirty members would participate in at least one of the ten constitutional conventions that helped separate Kentucky from Virginia. Among the members were Kentucky's first
Secretary of State (and future
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
from
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
),
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
; its third
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
,
Christopher Greenup
Christopher Greenup (c. 1750 – April 27, 1818) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative and the third Governor of Kentucky. Little is known about his early life; the first reliable records about him are documents recordin ...
; chief justice of the
Kentucky Court of Appeals
The Kentucky Court of Appeals is the lower of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky.
The ...
,
George Muter; federal judges
Harry Innes
Harry Innes (January 4, 1752 – September 20, 1816) was a Virginia lawyer and patriot during the American Revolutionary War who became a local judge and prosecutor as well as helped establish the state of Kentucky, before he accepted appointment ...
,
William McClung
William McClung (July 12, 1758 – 1811) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Sixth Circuit.
Education and career
Born on July 12, 1758, in Rockbridge County, Colony of Virginia, British America, McCl ...
, and
Samuel McDowell;
Congressmen
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
Willis Green
Willis Green (1818–1893) Green was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Life
Willis Green, son of Stephen Green and Elizabeth Stuart Green, was born in Madison County, Kentucky about 1818. Willis owned a mill at the Falls of Rough. He served a ...
,
Stephen Ormsby
Stephen Ormsby (1759March 4, 1844) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.
He was born in County Sligo, Ireland, immigrated to the United States when a boy, and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He pursued classical studies and studied la ...
,
Thomas Speed,
David Walker, and
Matthew Walton
Matthew Walton (died January 18, 1819) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky, cousin of George Walton and John Walton.
Walton received a limited schooling.
He served as member of the conventions held in Danville in 1785 and 1787.
He serve ...
; U.S. Senator
John Brown John Brown most often refers to:
*John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859
John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to:
Academia
* John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
; and
Thomas Todd
Thomas Todd (January 23, 1765 – February 7, 1826) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1807 to 1826. Raised in the Colony of Virginia, he Read law, studied law and later participated in the founding of K ...
, a justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
.
[Speed, p. 38] The existence of the club was lost to history until Speed's grandson, Thomas Speed II, discovered extensive minutes of its meetings that his grandfather, the club secretary, had taken and stored in a desk drawer.
[Combs, p. 334] The younger Speed later published these minutes with his own commentary about the club, in which he opined that "Full and complete biographies of some of the members would present a history of Kentucky from the beginning of its settlement past the first quarter of the ensuing century."
[Speed, pp. 98–99] One of the few extant references to the Club outside Speed's meeting minutes is an entry in the journal of a
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
paymaster
A paymaster is someone appointed by a group of buyers, sellers, investors or lenders to receive, hold, and dispense funds, commissions, fees, salaries (remuneration) or other trade, loan, or sales proceeds within the private sector or public secto ...
named
Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
Beatty; while staying overnight at Grayson's Tavern, Beatty recorded that he and his companions were "very much disturbed by a Political Club which met in the next house where we slept and kept us awake till 12 or 1 o'clock."
In 1787, Benjamin Grayson sold the tavern to Robert Craddock, who subsequently converted it into his private residence.
[Edwards, "Original owner of Willis Russel house supported education"] The replica that stands in Constitution Square houses the offices of the Convention and Tourism Bureau and The
Great American Brass Band Festival The Great American Brass Band Festival is a music festival held each June in Danville, Kentucky since 1990. The open-air festival features a wide variety of brass bands, a hot air balloon race, a picnic, and other activities. Each year up to 40,000 ...
.
When Boyle County took over Constitution Square, the
fiscal court
There are 120 counties in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. Despite ranking 37th in size by area, Kentucky has 120 counties, fourth among states (including Virginia's independent cities). The original motivation for having so many counties was ...
agreed to waive the rent paid by the Convention and Tourism Bureau in exchange for its in-kind services managing the park jointly with the Boyle County Industrial Foundation.
[Collins, "Danville mayor questions EDP's move to Constitution Square"] Danville Mayor Bernie Hunstad opposed the arrangement, fearing that park management would dilute both organizations' primary missions of bringing jobs to the area.
In March 2013, Hunstad resigned his
ex-officio
An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term ''ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...
membership on the Boyle County Industrial Foundation in protest.
["Mayor resigns from Boyle County Industrial Foundation". ''Danville Advocate-Messenger'']
Schoolhouse
Little is known of the brick schoolhouse that faces west onto Constitution Square and stands between the Watts-Bell House and Grayson's Tavern.
Local tradition holds that it dates to approximately the same time as the buildings near it and that it housed a private school.
According to the Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau, it was constructed around 1820 and was the first brick schoolhouse west of the Allegheny Mountains.
["Constitution Square Historic Site". Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau] The single-story, two-room edifice is built upon a
fieldstone
Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...
foundation with brick laid in
common bond and an off-center entrance with a
transom
Transom may refer to:
* Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar
* Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet
* Operation Tran ...
above.
While Constitution Square was a part of the state park system, the park manager lived in the schoolhouse.
After the park's transfer to Boyle County, the schoolhouse was converted into a conference center with meeting space.
Fisher's Row Houses
Jeremiah Fisher constructed two
row house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house (British English, UK) or townhouse (American English, US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings party ...
s, joined by a common wall and constructed of brick laid in a
Flemish bond
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and Mortar (masonry), mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called ''Course (architecture), courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall.
Bricks ...
, near the city square in 1817.
[Wallace and Grider, p. 5] These houses lay on Second Street and face west onto Constitution Square.
Fisher owned and rented these houses until 1850, but after he sold them they were used as tenements until at least the 1940s.
The Wilderness Trace Art League and Boyle County Historical Society Museum occupied the row houses, before the park's purchase by the county.
It now houses the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce, the Arts Commission of Danville-Boyle County, and the communications department of the Danville Boyle-County Economic Development Partnership.
Watts–Bell House
The Watts–Bell House was originally constructed by William Watts for local merchant David Bell in 1816.
It appears to have originally been constructed for some public use.
[Wallace and Grider, p. 6] Bell's son, future legislator and
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
Joshua Fry Bell
Joshua Fry Bell (November 26, 1811 – August 17, 1870) was a Kentucky slave owner and political figure.
Bell was born in Danville, Kentucky, where he attended public schools and then Centre College, where he graduated in 1828. He next st ...
, was reared in the house.
It lies between Fisher's Row Houses and Grayson's Tavern on Second Street and also faces west onto Constitution Square.
The two-story, asymmetrical house is laid in Flemish bond with queen closers.
Beginning in 1839, the Danville Literary and Social Club met in the house.
Before its dissolution about 2010, the Danville/Boyle County Historical Society Museum was headquartered here.
It now contains executive offices and a conference room used by the Danville-Boyle County Economic Development Partnership.
Alban Goldsmith House
The Alban Goldsmith House was constructed sometime prior to 1820.
[Wallace and Grider, p. 7] The story-and-a-half brick edifice is laid in common bond with a Flemish bond facade on the front.
Three
gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
d windows were added to the facade many years after its construction.
Interior chimneys with
corbel
In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...
s on top adorn each end of the house.
It faces west onto Second Street, away from Constitution Square, and opposite the Ephraim McDowell House across the street.
The house was owned by Dr. Alban Goldsmith, who studied medicine with
Ephraim McDowell
Ephraim McDowell (November 11, 1771 – June 25, 1830) was an American physician and pioneer surgeon. The first person to successfully remove an ovarian tumor, he has been called "the father of ovariotomy" as well as founding father of abdomina ...
.
When McDowell performed the first
ovariotomy
Oophorectomy (; from Greek , , 'egg-bearing' and , , 'a cutting out of'), historically also called ''ovariotomy'' is the surgical removal of an ovary or ovaries. The surgery is also called ovariectomy, but this term is mostly used in reference t ...
, Goldsmith acted as his assistant.
Goldsmith would later help found the
Louisville Medical Institute The Louisville Medical Institute was a medical school founded in 1837 in Louisville, Kentucky. It would be merged with two other colleges into the University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in ...
.
In 1827, Goldsmith sold the house to Jefferson Polk, then a newspaper publisher, but later a doctor who practiced briefly in Danville before moving to
Perryville, Kentucky
Perryville () is a home rule-class city along the Chaplin River in western Boyle County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 751 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. It is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Hist ...
.
The Alban Goldsmith House contains the Constitution Square Museum Store and the Heart of Danville, a local economic development organization.
Events
In April 1987, Danville's local newspaper, the ''Danville Advocate-Messenger'', sponsored the first Rally on the Square, a political rally where candidates for statewide office can make speeches and meet area voters.
["McConnell is Cleared to Return to Work". ''Lexington Herald-Leader''] Since then, the rally has been held every four years in April, in advance of the statewide
primary election
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
s in May.
The first Rally on the Square featured a brass band from nearby Centre College, which inspired the city to hold the first Great American Brass Band Festival in 1990.
[Carter, "Danville Seeks to Recapture Past With First Festival of Brass Bands"] The festival has been held annually in June ever since.
[Copley, "Ready, Aim, Play Something"] Constitution Square is one of the locales used for outdoor performances during the festival.
["Old, New Make Music Together at Festival". ''Lexington Herald-Leader'']
The first Constitution Square Festival was held at Constitution Square State Historic Site in 1979.
[Laun, "Danville's Constitution Square festival thrives despite funding cuts"] The event was held annually on the third weekend in September and featured historical reenactments, crafts, food, and music.
["Watch History Come Alive at Danville's Constitution Square Festival". Kentucky Department of Parks] In February 2009, the Kentucky Department of Parks announced that the festival would be suspended due to budget cuts prompted by the
economic recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
.
[Brummett, "Danville's Constitution Square Arts Fest honors Willoughby"] Shortly after the announcement, three community organizations – the Heart of Danville, the Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Community Arts Center – volunteered to coordinate the festival without state funds.
These groups gave the festival a more arts-centric focus and renamed it the Constitution Square Arts Festival.
The event continued until 2011, but was suspended in 2012.
["Constitution Square Arts Fest". Danville/Boyle County Economic Development Partnership]
Constitution Square has hosted an annual charity run every year since 1978.
[Smith, "Run for the Arts forges link between exercise and the arts"] After the opening of Danville's Community Arts Center in 2004, Ernst Crown-Weber, a local businessman, renamed the event Constitution Square 5K Run for the Arts and began organizing it as a way to raise money for the center.
A local artist, Alison Craig, designs original awards to be presented to the winners.
In November 2011, the first Kentucky State Barbecue Festival was held in Constitution Square.
[Kleffman, "BBQ replaces arts as Danville fall festival focus"] The event, conceived just ten weeks prior by a local couple, proved very popular, and the following year the festival was moved to the September weekend previously reserved for the suspended Constitution Square Arts Festival.
The
Southeast Tourism Society
STS logo 2015.jpg
"The Southeast Tourism Society" (STS), is a non-profit membership organization promoting tourism within the 13 Southeastern member states and the District of Columbia by sharing resources, fostering cooperation, networking, provid ...
named the festival one of its Top 20 Events in the Southeast for September 2013.
["BBQ festival named a top 20 event". ''Danville Advocate-Messenger'']
References
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External links
Constitution Square Historic SiteDanville/Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Constitution Square Historic SiteKentucky Department of Parks
{{Good article
Kentucky State Historic Sites
National Register of Historic Places in Danville, Kentucky
Protected areas established in 1937
Open-air museums in Kentucky
Museums in Boyle County, Kentucky
Protected areas of Boyle County, Kentucky
Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky
1937 establishments in Kentucky
Relocated buildings and structures in Kentucky
Squares in the United States
Replica buildings
History museums in Kentucky